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Neighborly love

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When Ted Hole moved to Springs in August 2012, he found a treat waiting for him on the ledge outside his Patterson-style apartment home.

“There was a plate of sweets and a card welcoming me to Highland Springs,” says Ted.

Ted’s neighbor, Lois Folkers, was behind the friendly gesture. When Ted knocked on her door to thank her, he was bowled over by her smile.

“Lois has a knack for drawing people in,” he says. “She’s very warm and inviting.”

Lucky in love

Lois moved to Highland Springs in August 2008 with her first husband Bill.

“The carefree lifestyle appealed to us,” says Lois. “Bill and I didn’t want to worry about the upkeep of our Plano home anymore. We were ready for maintenance-free living.”

When Bill passed away in April 2010 after 58 years of marriage, Lois was thankful to be living at Highland Springs.

“I was glad we had already downsized and I was surrounded by friends,” she says. “Highland Springs is like a stationary cruise ship. There are so many activities to choose from just a short walk away.”

Lois heads up the community’s on-site resale shop, the Treasure Chest. She teaches a weekly aerobics class, and she volunteers with Circle of Friends, an organization that takes meals to residents when they aren’t feeling well.

“My life was full,” she says. “I didn’t think I’d fall in love again. But I’ve learned to never say never.”

Getting acquainted

After their initial meeting, Ted asked Lois if she’d like to accompany him to a Dallas Symphony concert. Lois accepted, and the two discovered they had a lot in common.

Both married young, and each had four children. They lived in some of the same places, including Houston and Lafayette, La.

Ted, a geologist, and Lois’s husband Bill worked in the oil and gas industry. And both had long, happy marriages. Ted was married to his wife Beatrice for 58 years before she passed away.

“Our paths were similar,” says Lois. “We just seemed to fit.”

She said ‘yes’

In January 2014, Ted and Lois were having dinner in the Cotton Belt Café with fellow residents Dick and Kathy Skinner, who met at Highland Springs and were married in April 2013.

“The Skinners were telling us the story of how they fell in love,” says Lois. “Suddenly, Ted turned to me and asked if I’d marry him.”

After a brief pause to ensure Ted was serious, Lois said yes.

The couple plans to marry this month, on July 11, one day after Ted’s 80th birthday.

“Our children are spread from Canada to Colorado,” says Ted. “When we realized they would be in Dallas for my 80th birthday on July 10, it made sense to plan a July wedding.”

Wedding and a honeymoon

The couple will be married at Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, where Ted attends.

“One of the requirements to get married at my church is that the bride and groom meet with a counselor,” says Ted. “When the counselor learned that Lois and I were each married for 58 years, she didn’t see any further need to counsel us.”

After their wedding, Ted and Lois will honeymoon in the British Isles.

“I lived in England and Scotland and want to share those places with Lois,” says Ted.

When they return to Highland Springs, Ted and Lois have a unique opportunity as neighbors.

“We added a door to the wall between our apartments, and we’ll use both places,” says Lois. “Ted and I already downsized once, and it would be hard to do again. This was the perfect solution.”

Happy days ahead

As the couple counts down the days until their wedding, they can’t help but reflect on their second chance at love.

“Who would have thought we’d be doing this at our age?” says Lois. “But we feel like a couple of teenagers again.”

“We have so many good times ahead,” adds Ted. “I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”